


airplane mode

by noctizanagi



Series: alien boy - an android's found family [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Post-Canon, Pre-Slash, markus and connor can be read as platonic or romantic its up to you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 16:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14958363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctizanagi/pseuds/noctizanagi
Summary: Markus teaches Connor that he doesn't need to analyze everything, and an interaction with Hank teaches Connor that he absolutely hates emotions (or wants to, at least.)[He's a bad liar, though.]





	airplane mode

**Author's Note:**

> hey !! before you read : 
> 
> -it's recommended that you read the previous work in the series for some context, but its not necessary! this can also be read alone. 
> 
> if you don't want to read the first part, here's what happens : 
> 
> connor changes his appearance - hair color, clothes, and LED - from worries about RK900.

**// 3:49 PM**

 

**> STATUS : FUNCTIONAL**

 

**> OBJECTIVE : FIND MARKUS.**

 

Connor pulled on his beanie and stepped out of his house, looking around. Markus was one of the only people who hadn’t seen his new appearance yet, and he had to admit he was feeling some sort of butterflies about it - the revolutionary leader had always been there for Connor, and now? It was unlikely that a deviant would judge another for their decisions, but the doubts still lingered.

 

Being a deviant was hard. Emotions were complicated, and Connor couldn’t retreat into his confidence anymore. There was doubt, and fear, and worry, and pain, and sadness - but there was also joy, excitement, and satisfaction. Not to mention the other emotion he had yet to identify.

 

With a quick scan, Connor set his destination and began walking. It wouldn’t hurt to get a taxi, or use Hank’s car, but he wanted the fresh air. (He also wanted to test out his appearance more, in hopes of bringing back the feeling of satisfaction, but it wasn’t as if he could say that out loud. It was  _ embarrassing. _ ) Sumo wasn’t with him this time, so he stuck his hands into his pockets and went on his way.

 

It was Sunday, and neither Connor nor Hank had work at the DPD, leaving the android to search in peace. He had a vague idea of where Markus would be, but it couldn’t be confirmed until he was at the building - the Detroit Android Community Center. It doubled as a support group center and a mini-clinic for those who needed blue blood and biocomponents but couldn’t afford them.

 

Josh was at the door, talking to Simon (Daniel flashed through his mind and so did regret, and it stung, worse than Connor would’ve imagined before deviancy.) “Is that you Connor?” Josh blinked twice, looking him up and down before nodding approvingly. “I like the new look. I won’t ask what prompted it, but just know that Markus is going to love it.” 

 

Simon agreed, but regarded him with a slight amount of suspicion - nobody had missed the gun he had pulled on Markus at the speech, but nobody knew the story behind it. “He’s inside. Talking to North, but I’m sure they’ll be done soon anyway. Be careful, though. Some people still don’t trust you.” 

 

“I know. It’s unfortunate, but I understand.”  _ I do not trust myself a lot of the time either, Simon.  _ Conner made his way inside without another word, waving to Josh before scanning for Markus’s familiar reading. He was a prototype, the only one of his kind, so it was easy enough - not like Connor could forget the other, anyway.

 

**> SCANNING . . . **

 

**> > RK200 - KNOWN AS MARKUS**

 

**> > STATUS : FUNCTIONAL**

 

**> > STRESS LEVEL : LOW - 20 %**

 

Connor hummed in satisfaction, pushing through something akin to a crowd before hesitating. He could see Markus, and if he reached out his hand he could touch Markus yet… something stopped him. It was a mix of fear and something else, strong and compelling.  _ What if he doesn't like it? Hank did, but still… I am not exactly a favorable choice for companionship. _

 

“Connor?” 

 

Markus turned, eyes widened slightly as he took in Connor’s new appearance. The former deviant hunter jumped, recoiling before regaining his composure. “I decided it would be best to change my appearance, for… safety reasons. Do you… like it?” The idea of preference hadn’t quite registered with Connor, but he knew Markus had been deviant for longer. 

 

“It’s amazing, Connor. I’m glad you found something you liked, even if it’s for safety reasons,” Markus praised, and it almost seemed like the world was lighting up. “C’mere, I have something to show you.” 

 

**> OBJECTIVE COMPLETED.**

 

**> NEW OBJECTIVE : FOLLOW MARKUS.**

 

The crowd stepped aside for Markus, Connor trotting close behind with a curious, soft smile. He felt ecstatic - it was overwhelming, such a strong emotion that he felt his eyes begin to water.  _ This is unnecessary. Why… am I crying?  _ Connor quickly swiped at his eyes with his jacket sleeve, keeping Markus in his sight as the other walked into the music room.

 

**> OBJECTIVE COMPLETE.**

 

**> NEW OBJECTIVE : WAIT. **

 

“Sit.” Markus gestured to a stool next to the piano, and Connor lifted himself onto it, fiddling with the edges of his jacket. “You’ve played with me before, but I wrote something  _ for  _ you. Don’t worry about anything. Try just… listening.”

 

Connor nodded. He could do that, at least. He closed his eyes and turned off all of his scanners and analytical programs, before opening them and looking at Markus. The deviant was sitting on the seat with his eyes closed, fingers brushing against the keys before he found the ones he needed to press.

 

The music that began playing was more beautiful than Connor could have ever imagined. He bit his lip, registering the swirl of emotions in his stomach. Markus’s playing made him feel sad, content, nostalgic - that was new - and a mix of other, unfamiliar emotions he would have to ask Hank about.

 

He’d swear he was planning to before then, but he wasn’t the best liar.

 

Tears from earlier began to roll down his cheeks, Connor freezing up and brushing his hand against his cheek. He didn’t understand. Crying was associated with being sad, or even angry, but not typically joyful. It was overwhelming, like how he had felt earlier. The music stopped as Markus got up and took Connor’s hand, the other hand wiping away tears. “Connor, Connor, hey.” 

 

Markus was a steady point in Connor’s life. He was determined, a pacifist, and firm - if he wanted something, he would get it. Right now, he wanted to comfort Connor, to make sure he was okay. Not every deviant was eased into it from creation like Carl had done for Markus. Sometimes, like with Connor, the entire idea of becoming deviant was a bad dream, a forbidden thought that was punished with a shut-down and analysation.

 

“Connor, it’s alright. It’s okay to feel. It’s confusing, I know. C’mon, look at me,” Markus coaxed, waiting until Connor was meeting his gaze to retract the human skin over his hand. Connor glanced to that and closed his eyes, doing the same and connecting to the other. It wasn’t complete in the slightest, but the connection was enough for Markus let some memories flow through, gaining a few in return. 

 

The memories shot through Connor like a bullet - Carl encouraging Markus’s deviant nature, Carl falling to the floor after Leo pushed him - and he couldn’t help but share some in return, almost on instinct. Markus blinked, and he saw a rush of things - Amanda, the garden, the Kamski Test, RK900 - and it was enough to end the connection and replace it with what humans called a ‘bone-crushing’ embrace.

 

Connor didn’t hug back, at first, obviously startled, but that was okay. Markus could wait.

 

-

 

**// 8:56 PM**

 

**> STATUS : FUNCTIONAL**

 

**> ANALYTICAL SYSTEMS : ON**

 

Connor returned his settings to normal as soon as he got home, the afternoon having flashed by quicker than he liked. He surveyed the room - Hank was slumped back on the couch, sleeping. Sumo was curled next to him, sleeping as well. There were no signs of beer bottles, which came as a small surprise. Hank’s alcoholic tendencies was something they were both working on. It still had a long way to go (improvement was noted, though).

 

**> SCANNING . . .**

 

**> > HANK ANDERSON**

 

**> > STRESS LEVEL : MINIMAL - 2 %**

 

**> > INTOXICATION PERCENTAGE : 10 %**

 

A smile tugged at Connor’s face as he strode to the closet, pulling out a blanket and pillow and tucking them around Hank. He was careful not to disturb the sleep the lieutenant did get, and hushed Sumo when the dog began to stir. It was more than likely that Hank would wake up in a couple hours, and Connor could wait until then to talk. What would he do, though?

 

**> OBJECTIVE : KEEP BUSY.**

 

It seemed like a good enough idea, so Connor began scanning the living room, noting areas that needed cleaning before moving into the next room. He ended with a mental map of the whole house, yellow highlighting places where cleaning would be more than needed. It didn’t take long to pick up scattered trash and clean up dirty dishes, and at the end Connor still had hours to go before Hank would wake up.

 

He muffled a groan. This was harder than he thought.

 

The ability to go into ‘sleep’ mode lingered. Connor couldn’t take Sumo for a walk - he had already done that in the morning, and Hank was responsible for the afternoons. He had nothing to sew, and nothing to do that wouldn’t create enough noise to wake Hank up. Considering his options, ‘sleeping’ seemed like a good enough option.

 

Connor sat on the couch and closed his eyes.

 

-

 

**// 4:24 AM**

 

**> STATUS : FUNCTIONAL - IN SLEEP MODE**

 

Hank woke up before Connor did, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and sitting up. The quiet of the house confused him - the android was normally up and at it all night, with no regard to sleep. He tossed the blanket off -  _ huh, that wasn’t there before  _ \- and got up, looking around. It was harder to find Connor without his LED, particularly in the dark, but he did. Connor was completely still, sitting on the other couch with a passive expression, eyes closed.

 

“Is he in sleep mode? Sumo, you’re seeing this, right?” The dog wagged his tail, Hank taking that as a yes and chuckling. “I can’t believe he isn’t awake. Sleep mode… you’ve gotta be kidding me.” 

 

He wasn’t an android, and he couldn't put together previous events like Connor could, but it seemed that he had gotten home after Hank fell asleep, put a blanket over him and then went to sleep. Hank didn’t even know he  _ could  _ do that, although he had probably mentioned it in one of his smartass comments. “Maybe I’ll make him breakfast. Can he even fuckin’ eat? Whatever, it’s the meaning that matters.” 

 

**// 5:00 AM**

 

**> STATUS : FUNCTIONAL**

 

Connor opened his eyes, adjusting to the artificial light in the room faster than any human could. Hank was no longer lying on the couch, and by the sounds coming from the kitchen, the lieutenant was attempting to cook. “Hank? Is that you?” He got up and peered into the kitchen, eyes widening a bit in surprise. Eggs sat on the table, and from the looks of the counter (a quick scan registered flour, baking soda, and sugar) Hank was also making waffles.

 

“Connor, you never told me you could sleep. You slept in, too. I was half-expecting you to wake up when I did.” A muttered curse left Hank’s mouth as he quickly put a pancake onto a paper plate. 

 

“Hank, you are aware that androids do not require-” 

 

“Don’t give a fuck. You’re a part of the family, so you’re going to have family breakfast. We’ll restock the kitchen later like your smartass has been bothering me to,” Hank assured, voice firm. There was no room for argument in his tone, so Connor took a seat, watching patiently. 

 

It took a few minutes, but Hank set the waffles down on the table with a slight grin. He took a seat himself and gestured to the food. “Try ‘em. With all the disgusting shit you put in your mouth I know you have some sorta taste buds.” That was correct, of course, but Connor thought them to be more of a tool than something to eat food with. He didn’t  _ need  _ his analytical systems to be on, he supposed, so he turned them off and took a bite.

 

Waffles… tasted really good. Connor wasn't aware Hank could cook in the first place, with all the take-out he got, let alone make food this good. Was this what he was missing out on? “It tastes nice. Thanks, da-” He choked, cutting himself off with a blue blush dusting his cheeks. “Hank.” Where had  _ that  _ come from? Emotions were stupid, Connor decided, shoving more waffle into his mouth.

 

Connor did  _ not  _ want to call the lieutenant ‘dad’. That was wrong. Not possible. 

 

He was a bad liar.

 

“You’re welcome, son.” 

**Author's Note:**

> the markus/connor here can definitely be read as either platonic or romantic, since connor hasn't gotten to the point where he can register what 'love' is either way,,   
> [it's definitely written to be more romantic, but if that's not your thing than completely ignore that implication !]
> 
> the father-son hank & connor parts are definitely my favorites to write. I just love them so much??? happy father's day you dorks


End file.
